Nefertiti Nights

Chapter 12

Her phone pinged on the bedside table where it was on charge. Bea shifted from her resting position to see who it was. 

Hey beautiful. Can't wait to see you later. Work is driving me mad today. Hope you've had a good day. Tell me all about it later. I will come and collect you from your room at 5pm. J x

Bea smiled at the message and glanced at the clock. She had approximately one and a half hours. Time to start getting ready.

She sat herself up and thought about the evening ahead. 

"OK, first things first, shower!" She said to herself decisively. The humidity made her feel permanently sticky. Somehow, the heat didn't bother her when she was with Jonathan. 

She turned the shower on and found her 'special' shower gel. It had been a gift from her mother for her birthday. It was one of her favourite scents. She used it sparingly as it was expensive and she didn't want to waste it. 

She stepped under the cool water and instantly felt more refreshed. The walk in the heat outside had drained her more than she realised... and her muscles ached a little from her night time activities with Mr Pine. 

She thought back to the night before as she lathered up her body. The scent of Coco Mademoiselle drifted throughout the bathroom as she showered. It always left a beautiful scent on her skin after she used it. She washed her hair quickly - conscious of the time it would take to dry. The humidity was very likely to cause her curls to frizz so she had to work quickly. 

Bea stepped out of the shower and began to comb her wet curls out carefully. She applied some mousse and used her hand to crunch up her hair so the curls started to develop again. She had packed her hairdryer so she attached the diffuser and dried it carefully to ensure her curls looked as natural and controlled as possible. She set it with a spritz of hairspray.

Having sorted her hair, Bea set about on her make up. She had never been especially good at it and she was far too warm to apply too much. She picked a tinted moisturiser for her base. It would help combat the dry skin from the heat. Knowing what she was wearing later, she picked a dark green eyeshadow with golden liner. She slicked some mascara on. Looking at herself in the mirror, she knew a clear gloss was all she needed to complete the look. 

Satisfied with her hair and makeup, Bea looked over the contents of her suitcase. She found the underwear set she wanted - the one that matched the outfit she purchased from the market. The green bra had black lacing to the straps. The matching underwear was a French knicker with the same black lacing edging the bottom. 

"OK, Bea. You can't go out in just underwear." She told herself.

She was struggling to decide what to wear. When she had packed, she hadn't intended to be going out on dates. She moved something aside and smiled. She sent a silent thank you to Maia as she saw the dress her best friend had convinced her to buy a few weeks previous. She had no idea when it had been slipped in her suitcase but it was perfect for tonight. It was just above knee length and black. It was cut low in the front and the skirt section had a glittery lace overlay. When she spun, it came out from her body and glided around her. 

As she put it on, she felt her plan coming together. She really hoped Jonathan liked his surprise. 

She picked some wedged sandals in black to go with the ensemble. They weren't too high but they added some definition to her legs - as wearing heels often did. 

As she finished putting some pieces into a black clutch bag, there was a knock on the door. 

She opened the door to see Jonathan standing there with a small bag in his hands. She stepped back to let him in. 

"Bea, you look... wow." Jonathan ran a hand through his hair as he gazed at her. 

"Thank you." Bea replied as she smiled shyly up at him. "You don't look so bad yourself, Mr Pine."

She saw him look at her with something in his eyes. She had noticed that he liked her to call him Mr Pine and it made her curious to see his reaction. 

"Anyway," Jonathan cleared his throat and shook his head slightly. He held out the gift bag to Bea. "I bought you something."

"For me? What is it?" Bea asked with her eyes wide. 

"Open it and find out," He chuckled. 

Bea opened the bag to see a blue gift box inside. She lifted it out and read the label. To my Bea. Her heart jumped a little as she read it. His Bea? She smiled. 

"Go on," He encouraged her.

She opened the box slowly and gasped when she saw what was inside. Her hand flew to her mouth.

"Oh, Jonathan! I don't... I don't know what to say! It's beautiful. I... you shouldn't have." 

She closed the box and handed it back to him.

Jonathan looked at her confused.

"Beatrice, it's a gift. For you. It's usually polite to keep it." He frowned as he saw her looking to the floor and biting her lip. "Beatrice... Bea, look at me." 

She slowly lifted her eyes to meet his and he could see the tears forming. He enveloped her in his arms.

"My dear girl, whatever is the matter? Don't you like it?" He asked her as he held her tight and kissed her head. 

"I do. It's beautiful. So very beautiful. I just... I can't accept such a beautiful gift. I don't deserve you to... you shouldn't waste your money on me." She tried to pull away but Jonathan held her tight. 

"Listen to me carefully, Beatrice Tallow." He began in a low voice. "I decide who or what to spend my money on. And I think you are absolutely worth it. So, can we get on with our date night?"

He let her go and she looked at him. He handed her back the gift box and she opened it again. She saw the beautiful diamond choker in the box. It had little green gems across it. It was the most beautiful gift she had ever received... and it looked expensive. 

"May I?" Jonathan gestured to the choker and Bea smiled and nodded.

His fingers brushed her skin as he moved her hair aside. He placed it around her neck and fastened it. He pushed her hair back across her shoulders and walked around her. 

"Absolutely beautiful." He said as he gazed at her. He walked her to the bathroom to look into the mirror. 

"Jonathan, it's so beautiful. Thank you. Truely." Bea replied. She turned to look at him and kissed him gently on the lips. The kiss grew more urgent and suddenly Jonathan broke it off. 

"My lovely girl, we shan't make our date if we keep that up." He said to her as he winked. 

She giggled and he smiled. 

"Shall we?" He asked as he took her hand.

"Lead the way, Mr Pine." She replied as they left the room.